St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-02-18
HE FOUGHT FOR LIFE.
Unger, the Man Who Slew and Dismem-
bsred Bohle, Tells His Tale in
Court.
The Dead Man Attacked Him With 6
Knife and He Acted Solely in
Self-Defense.
An Intensely Dramatic Recital of
the Combat and Subsequent
Butchery.
an Aged and Prominent Texas Odd
Fellow Robs the Treasury of
the Order.

New YORK, Feb. 1.-THE trial of Ed
ward Unger for the murder of Louis BOhle,
whose body he cut UP, packed in trunk,
and sent by express to Baltimore, reached
an interesting and dramatic stage to-day.
Testimony for the defense occupied the
day. The first witness was Police In
spector Byrnes, who described the circum-
stances under which Unger was led to make
his confession OF the crime. He said
Unger manifested no anxiety as to the re-
suit to himself. but feared it would iniure
his children, and he made the inspector
promise to secure other places for his son
and two pretty daughters should they lose
the ones they then had. Witness then
testified to Unger's good character.
Unger himself was then put on the
stand, and i'll answer to questions from his
attorney detailed the SIorysO his life, in
Guiding eight years service in the United
States navy. He was on a man-of-war at
the siege and reduction of Forts Jackson
and st. Philip. New Orleans; lost the hear
ing of one ear in that engagement; was
wounded in the leg; commanded several
dispatch boats, and was honorably dis
charged. Then followed circumstantial
account of various means of livelihood
which he had followed since his discharge;
his meeting with Bohle; their subsequent
searches for location for saloon and for
purchasers for Bohle's sausage castings.
Bohle could not make up his mind. Unger
became disgusted with him and advised
him to got some one else to go into partner
ship with him. Bohle became morose and
they Quarreled. Bohle
ACCJTSED HIM OF CHE ATING
in the sale OF the sausage castings. Bohle
brooded over it and on the night of Jan. 20
when Ungers boy went out, Unger was
writing or reading. Bohle sat still and
muttered until Unger got mad and got up
and poked the fire. Witness said Bohle
sat ON the sofa and said "Y ou are all id
---." Witness said Don't you
call me that" and put his hand on Bohle's
head. Bohle struck him in the neck.
Unger struck at him with a poker aud
Bohle grabbed big butcher-knife OH the
table and made rush. Unger grabbed
the hammer from the tool box near
him and struck Bohle as he came on.
Ungers hand was cut little. but Bohes
hand was raised and Unger grabbed his
coat sleeve and got hold of the knife. AS
the old man described the scene he re-en-
acted his part of the tragedy. At this
point he stood up and seemed to be reach
ing high up at the hand which held the
knife over him. Witness, continuing, said
that he struck Bohle, he thought, about
twice and Bohle fell back on the sofa.
Unger saw that
HE WAS DEAD.
''You knew August Bohle was dead?" said
Mr.. Hoe quietly.
'.Yes sir,,'' answered fUnger in subdued
tones, II knew he was dead and l thought I
should do something. 1t was nearly 10
o'clock and my boy would soon be back. l
pulled out the settee, put Bohle behind and
wiped the blood Off the sofa. Then l got
ready to receive my boy. When he came
told him Bchle was gone and we went to
bed
Unger related the story Of the night of
horror which passed while the body of
Bohle was behind the cot. He had a fitful
sleep, broken by horrible dreams, and in
each of them sBohle appeared standing at
his bed. Unger would start up and spring
out of bed. Again and again this was re-
peated. Then the story of how he cut up
the remains was told in all its minuteSt de-
tails. The head would not go into the
trunk with all his efforts. Ulger wrapped
it up in piece of cloth with some scraps
of iron and dropped it off the ferry boat
The trunk was so full without it that
the lid in closing it. The other events. the
removing of the trunk to a saloon, then to
williamsburg. and its shipment to Balti-
more was given. Unger said in closing:
don t know, but it don't seem that did 1t.
I don't seem to be awake. / am a miserable
man. 1 seem to be dreaming ever since.
certainly did it in sef-defense. / can't blame
myself. / am a miserable man.
That was all. Ungers voice had sunk
lower and
GREW MORE HUSKY
until it was scarcely audible. The court
room was as still as death during his recital
The jury leaned forward to catch
every syllable. When he was through
every eye was on him as he
came down from the stand. with
every movement Indicating age or
feebleness. After the recess Unger was
cross examined. He again described the
fracas minutely and without the slightest
variation from his former relation. and as
he described and enacted his part in the
fight, Unger's face was a study, At the
moment when he was relating, with up
lifted hand, how he held the arm of Bohle,
who had butcher knife in his hand, there
was the expression of hard exertion and
trial of strength in Unger's face and when
he, in his memory, ran from the furious
;Bohle. who was
AFTER HIM WITH THE KNIFE,
and told how he stopped, with one hand on
the bedroom door, reached half behind him
with the other for the hammer in the tool
chest. keeping his eyes on his assallant
meanwhile. there was that frightened. hur-
red, terrible look which one might expect
to see on the face Of one in the actual scene.
He said:
There were irons there and ! might throw q
piece of iron at him.
AS he struggled to hold Bohle's right arm
aloft and to strike with the hammer he said:
knew 1 was gone if he got his arm loose
and struck him on the forehead and then as
he followed ne across the room trying TO get
his hand loose, 1 hit him on the top of the
head. He staggered aud fell back on the sofa.
There were few witches or jerks of his
arms and legs and that was ALL
Terrible! Terribie!"
1t was Juror Ryan in the box who broke
the death-like stiffness by this exclamation,
uttered In hoarse whisper unsconsciously
and involuntarily. He expressed the
thought of every hearer of Unger's tale. At
the request of his lawyer Unger looked the
jury sQuarely and untiinchingly in the face
and said: Il have told you all l know
about it." The defense rested.
ChicagO's Doodle Gang.
CHICAGO, Feb. 17.-Nic Michaels, for
several years messenger in the Cook county
board rooms, is reported this evening to
have given States Attorney Grinnell start
ling information in regard to the doodle"
operations OF certain county commissioners.
Michaels was in private consultation with
Mr.. Grinneu for several hours this after
noon.
Robbed The Odd EeiInws